It's a fact that food is a basic requirement for all life, but with the fast food habit that our society has developed over the last 50 years or so it seems that how and what we eat on an everyday basis is almost an afterthought. It was not always that way.

In the old world, meals were a much more important part of everyday life, and the person in charge of meals often spent hours preparing several meals daily. People took more time to share these meals. It was a time to nourish ourselves while sharing thoughts and bonding over the simple pleasures of the meal.  For centuries in cultures all over the world, the meal ritual continued and wine, ales, beers and soft drinks were developed to accompany and accent our food preparations. Over many years different beverages were consumed with the meal, but wine became a favorite in many parts of the world for several reasons. Its flavor elements were a natural pairing with different foods, and it was also used to aid digestion. Wine helped make simple food more palatable and good food taste even better. The alcohol in wine helped make the meal a relaxing event and in social situations it helped people loosen up and enjoy themselves.

Then came the 20th century. Things changed dramatically as the industrial age brought many developments that helped speed up our lives in the name of progress. Over many decades the patterns of life for most developed societies changed dramatically. Life had begun to revolve around the city, new processes brought about mass produced beverages and frozen foods, and partly because of these changes, the traditional family unit's lifestyle radically changed. In this busy society, where making a living meant long hours away from home, the meal preparer often took on a fulltime job outside of the home. This meant families were separated for much of the day, and for many there was not enough time to partake in a communal meal until work was over. Less and less time was spent on the preparation of the daily nourishment - fast food became a common term and dinners were much less though out, and often accompanied by inexpensive soft drinks. Wine consumption with meals became more associated with the upper class's formal meals or special occasions.

After many decades of this "progress", it became clear to many that this quality of life was lacking in many ways. In recent decades, more people have begun to notice the negative side effects of this lifestyle, including obesity, stress related disorders, and others that can be attributed to our hectic lifestyle.

In the United States, a country made up of people who came from many cultures throughout the world, we are now seeing a revisiting of the traditional meal with careful preparation of food using more time and fresh ingredients. Even for those with little time, what we eat and how we do it has become important again. With a plethora of food choices and the ability to experience all the cuisines of the world, we are in a unique place in history, a time where we have discovered how important the meal is to us, not just as a food source, but as a way to exercise our senses and improve our life experience.
 
This brings me back to my favorite subject, wine.  As food has become more of a sensual pleasure and the preparation of meals with different flavors, styles, and cuisines is reintroduced into our daily meals, wine in its many variations has once again resurfaced as a natural pairing for almost any meal. Whether red, white or pink, sweet or dry, fruity or savory, wine stimulates the senses and helps us enjoy our meal - often taking a simple meal to a higher level.

I've spoken to many people who enjoy wine but have a hard time deciding which wine goes with which type of food. A popular way to shop for wine is to ask your wine merchant to help complement a particular meal. We in the industry have a lot of standard pairings to help us answer these questions. To simplify the subject, basic guidelines were developed over the years the to help select the wine to pair with a meal, such as "pair red wines with beef or lamb, pair white wines with fish or chicken", but these are simplifications which should be used as general guidelines, and definitely not hard and fast rules.

There can be many different flavors in a meal, so no one set of rules apply. Do not be afraid to experiment! Take a little time to learn the general flavor profiles of the different varietals, then mix and match to your hearts content.  Yes, a nice full bodied Cabernet is great with a beef rib roast, crispy Sauvignon Blanc will be great with Trout Almondine, but there is no reason to limit yourself to "classic pairings".  Although there is definitely something to be said for pairing the wines of a particular region with the corresponding cuisine, there's no reason that you can't enjoy a German Spatlese (Riesling)  with Kung Pao Chicken or Mongolian beef or any number of spicy Asian or Mexican dishes for that matter. Or how about a spicy Shiraz with a ham sandwich? Enjoy a medium bodied red Pinot Noir or Chianti with your fried chicken picnic; enjoy your favorite Malbec wine with a savory pork loin. Use a little red wine in the sauce that you use in your chicken dish and enjoy the same wine with the meal. Specialized food requirements shouldn't limit your choices; a vegetarian should not have any problem enjoying a nice red wine with your vegetable lasagna.

More ideas? By looking at the varied flavors in the different wines which are readily available to us in many parts of the country, you can find many new and exciting ways to pair food and wine. Try taking cues from the different flavor combinations used in the world's cuisines, and pair a light sweet wine like an Italian Moscato di Asti with a hot spicy dish for contrast, or complement a creamy Alfredo sauced pasta dish with a creamy Chardonnay. A fruity Zinfandel works well with a Mexican posole and when in doubt you can always open a bottle of Champagne - a wine that I believe complements virtually any meal, especially salty or savory foods.

We are so fortunate in these times, especially here in the United States, to be able to experience an unprecedented variety of both food and wine at reasonable prices, so use your imagination, try new pairings and open your horizons to the simple pleasures of food and wine.

About the Vintner 

The Wine Club has been offering fine wines and accessories at discounted prices since 1985. Today there are 3 stores in California: Santa Ana, San Francisco, and Santa Clara, and www.thewineclub.com, a web store that has a constantly changing inventory of over 1200 different wines and accessory items for you to choose from, you can pick them up or we can ship to most of the USA. Stores are open 7 days a week and each has wine tasting events scheduled on most weekends, so come on by and visit.